I know my view is part of very small minority and this is going to be very unpopular, but I thought I would share it and see what happens.

So the government is currently in the process of overhauling the NHS. As we all know the NHS is in crisis, anyone thinks otherwise is simply short sighted. But I think more drastic changes need to take place.

Right now the government punish those who work hard and are involved in private enterprise, via means of redistribution of taxes on the rich to pay for health care for all. And also those who use private health care continue to pay national insurance. We don't need this, and everyone should be on a level playing field via private healthcare. That way we get a better quality of treatment for all.

Privatatisation will give everyone a chance to become a shareholder in the a private health service. This means that the health companies will be more accountable to you, because without the approval of there customers they are unlikely to turn a profit.

A wider range of treatments will be available, drugs that can’t be found on the NHS will become more accessible in the country.

People will change their life styles, eating habits, increase the amount they exercise etc etc, because they know that living in an irresponsible manner will end up costing them money and no one else.

With the population getting older by the day, the government can ill afford to keep on the NHS as tax money should be spent else where. So its important that massive private investment takes place as soon as possible. Private health care will provide a higher standard of care and insure that the population of the UK gets the health care it deserves.

edit: I am willing to let my opinion be changed slightly. But bear in mind I have strong believes in a free market and the decentralization of the government which isn't going to change. Also since 99% of people are completely against this, I really cant awsner every single question, seen as I am on my own here. But anyway you get the gist of what I think from this post I hope.

(Original post by Davethedavedave)
No people have to alter their life style so their bank accounts don't suffer.

Someone one 12k per year could see as much as £1440 put back in their pockets by removing the NHS.

But there's still a flaw... People who have genuine health problems which aren't self inflicted or accidental would still loose out. Plus the government would still find an alternative way to rape our pockets

(Original post by Davethedavedave)
So the government is currently in the process of overhauling the NHS. As we all know the NHS is in crisis, anyone thinks otherwise is simply short sighted. But I think more drastic changes need to take place.

The NHS is in trouble because of years of private sector and government interference and the foisting of a neo-liberal system of economics on a public health system. The current govt is attempting to deal with the problems caused by neo-liberalism with...neo-liberalism (i.e. the Health and Social Care Bill). This is where things fall apart, not the principles of the NHS itself.

Right now the government punish those who work hard and are involved in private enterprise, via means of redistribution of taxes on the rich to pay for health care for all. And also those who use private health care continue to pay national insurance. We don't need this, and everyone should be on a level playing field via private healthcare. That way we get a better quality of treatment for all.

Even private patients use the NHS, ever heard of A&E?

Privatatisation will give everyone a chance to become a shareholder in the a private health service. This means that the health companies will be more accountable to you, because without the approval of there customers they are unlikely to turn a profit.

A wider range of treatments will be available, drugs that can’t be found on the NHS will become more accessible in the country.

Drugs which aren't "found" in the NHS are not found due to many reasons, including concerns over the efficacy/affordability/long term benefits of these drugs, the postcode lottery (again a product of neo-liberalism) and the outrageous costs of drugs which is the fault of the pharmaceutical industry (incidentally one of the most profitable industries on the planet). This again has nothing to do with the NHS, the NHS (and by extension the public) is the victim here, not the villain.

People will change their life styles, eating habits, increase the amount they exercise etc etc, because they know that living in an irresponsible manner will end up costing them money and no one else.

Sorry, but this is nonsense, people change their lifestyles via decent and targetted public health campaigns and deep rooted changes to combat socioeconomic inequalities. Do you really think saddling the poorest in society (who incidentally have the worst health) with a further financial burden in the form of private health insurance will actually elicit a positive change? Or will they be unable to pay for this and end up even worse off?

With the population getting older by the day, the government can ill afford to keep on the NHS as tax money should be spent else where. So its important that massive private investment takes place as soon as possible. Private health care will provide a higher standard of care and insure that the population of the UK gets the health care it deserves.

(Original post by Glow in the dark)
But there's still a flaw... People who have genuine health problems which aren't self inflicted or accidental would still loose out.

The money saved on national insurance payments could be used for better private medical insurance.

And if you cant afford private medical insurance...... Well I guess your **** out of luck.

edit: I realize my choice of words here is less than friendly, but I stand by my point. Also people who are less well off would be able to benefit from charitable contributions in any private healthcare system.

(Original post by Davethedavedave)
People will change their life styles, eating habits, increase the amount they exercise etc etc, because they know that living in an irresponsible manner will end up costing them money and no one else.

I am always struck by just how fit, healthy and in shape everyone's looking when I go to that beacon of private healthcare the USA.

(Original post by Davethedavedave)
I know my view is part of very small minority and this is going to be very unpopular, but I thought I would share it and see what happens.

So the government is currently in the process of overhauling the NHS. As we all know the NHS is in crisis, anyone thinks otherwise is simply short sighted. But I think more drastic changes need to take place.

Right now the government punish those who work hard and are involved in private enterprise, via means of redistribution of taxes on the rich to pay for health care for all. And also those who use private health care continue to pay national insurance. We don't need this, and everyone should be on a level playing field via private healthcare. That way we get a better quality of treatment for all.

Privatatisation will give everyone a chance to become a shareholder in the a private health service. This means that the health companies will be more accountable to you, because without the approval of there customers they are unlikely to turn a profit.

A wider range of treatments will be available, drugs that can’t be found on the NHS will become more accessible in the country.

People will change their life styles, eating habits, increase the amount they exercise etc etc, because they know that living in an irresponsible manner will end up costing them money and no one else.

With the population getting older by the day, the government can ill afford to keep on the NHS as tax money should be spent else where. So its important that massive private investment takes place as soon as possible. Private health care will provide a higher standard of care and insure that the population of the UK gets the health care it deserves.

Let's not. Let's not assume that people are perfectly logical, rational actors, and that corruption does not exist and that the world is a perfect meritocracy.

(Original post by Davethedavedave)
You cant compare the life styles of people from very different cultures....

I think our culture is pretty close to America's as they go, we do after all have a special relationship.

Also if people aren't motivated to lose weight, stop smoking, drink less etc. by the thought of their own mortality, not living to see their kids and grandkids grow up and so on, is saving a few hundred quid really going to do it?? Maybe it will, but I have more faith in humanity than that.

(Original post by roh)
I think our culture is pretty close to America's as they go, we do after all have a special relationship.

Also if people aren't motivated to lose weight, stop smoking, drink less etc. by the thought of their own mortality, not living to see their kids and grandkids grow up and so on, is saving a few hundred quid really going to do it?? Maybe it will, but I have more faith in humanity than that.

(Original post by Davethedavedave)
And if you cant afford private medical insurance...... Well I guess your **** out of luck.

This is the reason I don't support privatisation of the NHS.

Often the people who need medical care the most are those that come from areas of severe deprivation, and thus are the ones most likely not to be able to afford insurance. If we made the NHS private and started charging people to go and see a GP they wouldn't go so often, and only if they were really unwell. This means that diseases which are insidious or asymptomatic at first will only be caught at a later stage of progression, and in most cases the later the diagnosis the worse the prognosis.

I would perhaps support a system in which health costs are means tested, and those that can afford to contribute would do so (e.g. £10 per GP consultation, or something similar) and those that cannot would still receive care for free.

Private health care tends to discriminate against those in the most need. This is not always the case, but I think it would affect too many people in the UK to go down that road.